


Day 1 - Lights - You Are the Sun To My Stars

by EdouBunny



Series: XZero Week 2021 [1]
Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Day 1 Prompt "Lights", Dreamscapes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Sun and the Stars, Telepathy, XZero Week 2021, Zero's fears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29530752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdouBunny/pseuds/EdouBunny
Summary: Zero’s Nightmares were getting out of hand. He needed his Sun to light the right path to find a way to beat these fears he’s having. As well as have an appreciation for moments he can have with X in times like these where their time is becoming more limited.Inspired by this fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13466337 (<--- "my little ribs around you" by oogenesis)For XZero Week 2021 - Day 1 Prompt for “Lights”
Relationships: X/Zero (Rockman)
Series: XZero Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169483
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Day 1 - Lights - You Are the Sun To My Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Man!! This took forever to write, and it wasn't meant to be written as long as it was BUT HERE WE ARE!!
> 
> Hopefully the other ones won't be as long but we'll see XD
> 
> As you can plainly see this is for XZero week of this year!! Yeah!! My first time writing fics for this event! I usually just drew for it but now I'm doing a combination!! And I'm finally adding art to my fics as well!! I'm excited to finally add art to this, and it's associated with the art I already drew, if you couldn't tell, so ye haha
> 
> And this is my own take on how interfacing works in the AU and I finally got to write it!! WOOHOO!! :D!! I will write a canon fic on how they first did it. Probably. Lol.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this!! May not be written well, but I like how it came out~. I haven't written a fic in a few hours like this in a long time, I think it's been over a decade since I did that.
> 
> Music good listening to the Dream Code sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lju6h-C37hE&ab_channel=MeditationandHealing

It is the darkness of night. Zero’s Nightmares have gotten out of hand once more and he’s needed some comfort with X than the usual cuddle they get before retiring for the night.

The Midnight Ripper then thought of something that might help, “Hey, Blue Jay…?”

X then turned to his lover while putting on some PJs for himself to shut down in, “What is it, Phoenix?”

Gods he looked so adorable, Zero couldn’t stop himself from blushing, “I’ve been thinking about what’s been happening lately. And I was hoping you’d be alright with it.” He shifted on their charging pod. One with the mattress still inside and how comfortable it still is. He loves Xev for having his quirks like he does. Wanting to feel comfortable, sleeping like humans, and having hobbies and habits like humans. It’s like X was a human in disguise. That’s how human in general X behaved. It was part of his programming, but that was only the base of it. His Free Will. Able to think and feel all on his own. The Midnight Hunter couldn’t fathom how complicated X’s coding would be. Yet- everything laid out in front of him was X just being himself.

It all seemed so complicated, but at the end of the day, his Blue Jay is just him. And Zero can appreciate that in every aspect possible.

X then finished dressing himself in this cute clothes and leaned in to kiss Zero’s cheek, “Of course.”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

Xevdex put a finger gently over Zero’s lips to shush him, “Shhhhh.. I know exactly what you’re wanting to tell me.”

“Y-you just got your helmet off, though. I don’t want you to just put it back on just for _this_.” Zero staggered.

_Poor Zero,_ X thought. He knows his Phoenix doesn’t want him to be inconvenienced by what he wants to do to finally break this cycle of horrible nightmare, but he placed a hand on Zero’s cheek. Cupping it, “Don’t worry. I don’t mind. Besides, I really want you to feel at ease too. ”

Zero sighed to help calm himself down. The anxiety really has been getting to him the past couple of nights, his fighting has been rusty lately. Thankfully, not him himself, despite the fact he’s over a century old. But sometimes he does think what if he and X can accumulate rust eventually and over time. They take care of themselves as best they can, but sometimes he feels he relies too much on X.

“I’m sorry.” The Midnight Ripper spoke with a little tremble in his voice, remembering those horrible nightmares again, “I just feel I rely on you too much. There are things I should deal with myself that I should have to go to you for. I feel like I just- _weigh_ you down sometimes. Even when we have intimate moments like we’re going to have tonight. Just to get rid of how horrible the nightmares have gotten lately…”  
  


X couldn’t help but hold Zero’s hands within his, “I feel the same way, but we’ve always been there for each other no matter what. And this would be no different. You know that as well as I. You remind me of that so many times whenever I feel like I’m inconveniencing you. You get to be reminded just as much…”

Zero should have known that. He tried to remind himself of it, but when times like this come to light, he forgets about it. He knows X goes through the same thing.

He places a kiss on the other’s cheek, “You’re right, Blue Jay. I’ve always trusted you to help me whenever I needed it. I’m sorry I’m feeling so vulnerable right now.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that, Phoenix.”

Zero nodded, “Yeah… I shouldn’t have to. I’m just _so_ tired…”

“Don’t worry, Zero. This will help, just like it has before. I promise.”

Zero nodded again while X went to grab his helmet to put back on, “Okay. Let’s do this.”

They both lay down, facing each other and their helmet crystals about to touch, “You ready, Zee…?”

“As I’ll ever be, Xev…”

Once they closed their eyes and had their crystals touch, synchronizing their energies with hard concentration, X soon reached into Zero’s mind.

* * *

_The abyss of his lover’s mind definitely had a creepier tone to it than usual. He looked around, wondering if Zero’s code entity was here._

_“Zero?” X called out, but didn’t get an answer, “Zero? Where are you?” He called again. This feels like Deja Vu, that’s for sure._

_“X!” Zero finally called back and his code formed his entity in front of X. Swooping in with his wings and holding X’s hand, “You’re finally here.”_

_X nodded, “Of course, Zero. I’m here to help you, just like I had before.”_

_The Midnight Ripper was relieved to have his Blue Jay here. The thoughts about inconveniencing him had left once all this process had started. Even with that, the eerie atmosphere is still all around them, Zero took X’s hand._

_“Please help me…” X rubbed his thumb onto Zero’s, “Don’t worry. Just lead me to the code that’s scrambled and I’ll help untangle it, okay?”_

_Zero nodded and pulled his Blue Jay along as they floated through the code of the Midnight Ripper’s mind. As they proceeded, the darker and more scrambled the code seemed to appear. This was worse than the other previous encounters with this problem for Zero’s mind to be dealing with. The code for his thoughts and dreams seemed to be much darker as well. As if an entity had messed with them on purpose._

_“...What happened here, Zero…?” X asked in such a concerned tone. There was no response. Zero just solemnly looked down. As if he felt guilty for all of this happening and being a burden for X because of his nightmares. X cupped his hand on Zero’s cheek here as well as they did before they started synchronizing their data. Giving him a silent smile and nod, to let him know things are going to be okay and it wasn’t his fault this was all a mess. Zero weakly smiled back._

_The Midnight Ripper was hesitant to approach the code, but X had to pull him towards it this time. Just so they can untangle it together to defrag it. Zero really didn’t want to tamper with his memories or thoughts. Especially X not seeing certain ones that he doesn’t really talk about or have talked about to X yet. He really has wanted to talk about them, he was just hesitant._

_As they had done so, X tried concentrating so he doesn’t mess with anything or accidentally delete any memories of Zero’s. Especially of them and their times together. Zero’s hands trembled, his pseudo breathing quickened. Hyperventilating, as he tried untangling his memories away from his terrible thoughts. Especially those when harming Xev is possible. X sees this and places a hand within his own._

_“It’s okay, Phoenix…~ Everything will be okay…~” He spoke softly. Zero took a minute to look up at his Blue Jay, and the files of his code in front of him. They were still a tangled mess, but it was getting more manageable by now. Just working on this has already been taxing. Still dealing with dark thoughts he didn’t want to deal with any longer really has been hard enough on him as it is. What felt like only a few minutes was really a longer time in reality. Or was it the other way around? The Midnight Ripper didn’t remember exactly, but it was somewhere along the lines of that. Either way, they still felt agonizingly painful to have to go through them. At least they weren’t being sorted, though. Which Zero had a relieving thought go through him._

_When reached with a dark thought that the Black Armored Hunter went across, he nearly touched it, making the thought code glitch for a split second, in the process of it, having X yelp in surprise when seeing this, “Ack! What in the-?” He turned his head towards his lover, who was more panicked than he was before._

_X tried to touch Zero’s shoulder as the coded version of the Midnight Ripper started to glitch as well. Feeling like he’s losing his mind._

_“Zero…?”_

_“B-Blue Jay…! I-I can’t do this…! I can’t…!”_

_“Zero…!” Seeing his Firebird hyperventilate more, X took him in his arms into a soft embrace. Zero still trembled, his thoughts still on a stagnant stand still. His code on himself continued glitching as his Bluebird hugged him close._

_“We’re almost there. Your thoughts are nearly untangled, Zero. You can do this._ **_We_ ** _can do this. We’re always there for each other. Thick and thin, like peas in a pod. I could never go through my life without you there. But here you are, still here with me, and we’ll always stick through things together until the very end. Just like we promised…”_

_Hearing those words made Zero tremble less and tried making his arms move up to wrap around his beloved._

_“Blue Jay…” Was all Zero could muster out of his mouth. Snuggling into X’s embrace, being so thankful his lover has always been there. No matter what. With their love being shone throughout, X’s blue jay wings had appeared! Those beautiful bright and blue wings! Zero looked up, feeling the warmth coming from X. Xev looked behind him._

_ “Looks like we can summon our wings within interfacing as well~. Well, obviously speaking…~” He smiled up at Zero, The Midnight Hunter smiling back, tears falling as his own fiery wings, still present, spread wide, the flames growing from their love that shone through their unity. The warm sparks of fire, and his own warmth had harmonized with the Blue Hunter’s own. _

_ “We got one more shot at this.” X spoke again, Zero placing a hand on his lover’s head to pet him. Just like he always does. _

_ “Thank you, Blue Jay…~” They turned back to the code of memories and thoughts to finally untangle that last knot. Finally, the defragmentation was completed. At last, Zero felt at peace once more, and felt he could have better sleep in the nights ahead. Though, he’d still have nightmares, they’d be back to what they were supposed to be. Easy to deal with when X was there. _

_ They looked at each other, gazing into their eyes, and holding hands. Smiling softly to one another. X’s smile soon faded and he looked away, however. His blue wings tucked a tad bit. Zero knew something was bothering him. _

_ “What’s wrong, Xev….?” _

_ Silence overtook X before he finally spoke to break it, “...Zero? I have a feeling something more has messed with your code for us to have to defrag it more than usual.” He looked back at his Midnight Ripper with a worried look, his eyes looking glassy. As if he was about to cry. No! Zero didn’t want X to cry because of this! _

_ “Oh, Blue Jay… If only I had the strength to tell you what’s going on. I’m just too scared to say anything. I don’t want you facing… ‘Him’...” _

_ X was puzzled by this. What did he mean by “him”? It took awhile for him to process what Zero meant before he finally connected the dots. Oh. Oh.... He thought about the time with the Cyber Crater and how Zero was awakened by Sigma. _

_ “Did you mean… when you were awakened…?” _

_ Zero slowly nodded to the answer, “Yes. But also no.” _

_  
_ _  
_ _ “W-what do you mean…?” _

_Silence_ _ overtook Zero this time. Still hesitant on saying anything. Why was he so scared to tell X? The one he entrusted most out of anyone else in the world? Nay, the entire universe and beyond. That’s what it felt like to Zero a lot of the time. The Midnight Ripper gripped X’s hand snuggly, “...What you saw back then was- a fusion of what my original self was supposed to be, along with who I am now." _

_X didn’t know what else to say. He just listened intently to what his lover had to say while Zero’s Phoenix wings also folded up a little, the fire effects growing dimmer as those thoughts about being awakened had slowly returned, “I felt I couldn’t control what happened to me. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I finally found out my past, but I wasn’t happy about it. I was- angry. Furious. I mean, I do know who my creator was, but not what my purpose was supposed to be._

_“But until I learned all of that, something came over me. It was like the rush of adrenaline that came over and took over me. I-I can’t describe it. It’s like, how there was someone else there inside my head wanting to show itself and having to want to show everyone who I was supposed to be, that that was the real me, and what true purposes I had…” He paused a moment, his voice sounded strained, “As if it was emerging to take me over and finish the job I started…!”_

_X didn’t know what Zero meant for that either, but he heard enough and hugged him again. His arm being clenched inside his embrace as his waist was being held. If only his wings were big enough to wrap around Zero. Much like the Midnight Hunter’s size of his wings, but alas._

_“Xev…?”_ _  
  
_

_“That fight was hard to go through. But that kiss was something that brought you back to me, even if you were taken from me again in terms of death. It was thought of at the last second, but I don’t regret it at all.”_

_Zero then proceeded to wrap one of his wings over X. The Neo Blue Bomber was taken off guard from the wing being over him, but he felt the warmth of the energy of the flames. Easing himself more into his lover’s body. Despite it being only code, he can still feel him there. His warm presence is still with him. Despite the fact on the outside they’re concentrating to keep connected so they don’t ruin the process and make each other’s code scramble. It would have been worse to have that happen while the defragmentation happened, but they got it done, so X was thankful it was out of the way._

_Zero looked down at X, more tears flowing from his eyes. The dark, once clouded place they floated in was now shone with light. Theirs. Something they always cherished within and without. They could share something so intimate, not much Reploids do it amongst themselves. X and Zero have such a deep connection, it blows other’s minds to see them so close, not even coding and fragments of themselves are imagined apart._

_The Sapphire Blue Jay let his own tears fall, “I love you, Zero… My Phoenix… Firebird… I don’t know what I would have done if I never met you.”_

_“Shhhh…. Let’s not talk about that now…” Zero interjected, cupping his hands on X’s head. Caressing the crevasses of his helmet, rubbing his thumb against the side. Near his audio receptor. They float there together in silence, soaking up the love they share within each other’s code._

_“X… I want to show you something.” X looked up as the other broke the embrace and pulled him along again. The Neo Blue Bomber’s tears float along and become defragged bits of code that eventually vanish into the depths of the code itself around them in Zero’s Z-Chip. It took a few moments to lead them somewhere of bathed light. Code still in binary fragments around them._

_“Zero… Where are we…?”_

_The Midnight Ripper didn’t say anything for the last few moments, making the Sapphire Blue Jay a little concerned, “...Phoenix…?”_

_“You haven’t reached your subconscious like this, but… This is the dream code.”_

_Dream Code? It then hit X!_

_“Ohhh! Is this where the coding of your Dreams form when we’re in our subconscious while in sleep mode!”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Zero finally smiled seeing his boyfriend so thrilled to finally see the code behind all the dreaming, “Yes. And you know what we can do now before we disconnect our interface session?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _X shook his head softly, Zero holding onto his, “I get to show you many things of what you mean to me.” He floated upward, flapping his wings in the process. He didn’t need to, but it was a habit when using them. He didn’t mind though._

_He pulled X below him, the Blue Jay trying to float to catch up with him. He flapped his little wings, but they weren't big or powerful enough to catch up. Zero realizing this, he pulled X to his level, “Can’t keep up, can you, Blue Jay~?”_

_X chuckled in response, “No…~ My wings aren’t as big as yours, normally.”_

_“Well,” Zero started flapping his wings with more force, making them float upwards faster, “you better hold onto me, then~.” X held on until they reached the edge of the coding. Most of it was white space until they reached the top. It was like a dome, and the top had a small circle of gradient to dark grey. The size of Zero’s hand._

_“Why are we up here…?” X asked curiously._

_“You’ll see..~”_

_Zero touched it, causing the space around them to meld and transform into a night sky. X gasped softly, seeing it all come together. He looked down, seeing Earth in it’s beautiful glory!_

_“Zero! This is amazing!” The Midnight Ripper’s Blue bird was star struck seeing all this before him and being in the presence of space and the stars! Seeing Earth from where they are!_

_“I’m glad you like it, Bluebird~. I want to show you one more thing, though.”_

_X turned to Zero again, wondering what he’s cooked up now. Zero closed his eyes, changed the scenery to a sunset colored sky. X started to glow. Very brightly. A nice bright white to yellow brilliant light, his wings disappearing as well. X was confused seeing this all happen to him, looking at himself just change at a matter of seconds. He then looked up at his Firebird, however, his wings were disappearing and he changed to a dark entity, but with stars! He literally changed into the night sky before him!_

_“Zero…! You’re gorgeous…~!”_

_The other then opened his eyes, his hair floating gracefully around him and smiling, “So are you~.”_

_He took X in his arms in another embrace, looking into each other's eyes._

_“...Am I too bright for you to stare at…?”_

_Zero shook his head and cupped his hand in X’s cheek, “No..~ I made you so you won’t be so bright and be gorgeous to look at~.”_

_The Blue Jay giggled softly and smiled to his beloved, “I can say the same about you, Zee…~ You look so gorgeous as a body of stars, I can’t stop thinking about our times stargazing together.”_

_Zero thought he was right. He would love to see the stars with X in dreams or at least interfacing every once in a while. They had to stop soon, however. Since it takes so much energy to synchronize their coding in such an intimate moment such as this. If only they could do this more often in their dreams without having to interface. Maybe one day they can think of a way to do that. For now, they’d have to deal with interfacing._

_“But… do you see why I made us like this…?”_

_“Why did you, Zee…?”_

_Zero held X closer to him, gazing more into his lover’s eyes, “You’re the sun to my stars. A star that completes the universe. Without you, there’s no light that can’t guide me out of the darkness but the stars around me that don’t show me that light. Not showing me the light that you do."_

_X felt moved from Zero’s words, he couldn’t help but hold Zero close in their embrace, “You’re the stars to my son. You accompany me with all of them shining around me so I’m not alone. And your dark desolate sky gives me a calm feeling I wish to feel for the rest of my days. I can never live without it…”_

_The Midnight Ripper then felt moved as well through X’s own words in response, “Oh, Blue Jay…” Their embrace was left in silence for a long time. Just feeling each other’s presence, warmth, their beings, coding intertwining. Nothing could be better than this._

_“Zero…?” X softly called._

_“Yes?”_

_“...Can we do this a little more often? Just to drift and lucidly dream? Just you and me…?”_

_Zero took a moment to answer his beloved, since he knows how much energy it takes out of them. But he thought it might be beneficial. Since he sometimes can’t sleep for a short amount of time after dealing with nightmares night after night. It would be easier for him to sleep. Dreaded insomnia is only a worse situation he deals with after constant nightmares. He’s had enough. They might get really drowsy when they wake up in the morning, but does he give a fuck? No. Not really_

_“Of course, Blue Jay…~. I’d love to…” He embraced him again, the Bluebird hugging him back. They enjoyed it one more time before Zero prompted they should disconnect from this session. X agreed, and they had finally released it. Their eyes opening back into reality._

* * *

The Neo Blue Bomber had forgotten how heavy they felt for a moment, feeling dizzy and disoriented from all the floating in all that code. Especially in all the drifting they’ve been doing in Zero’s dream code data. It really took a lot out of both of them. But they’re happy they get to spend a moment together just like this, and as intimately as they desired. Zero planted a kiss on X’s cheek as they both immediately fall asleep and dream of each other’s night wonders.

**Author's Note:**

> AND THAT'S IT!!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed!!  
> I will add more art to my other fics hopefully soon!!
> 
> I'm gonna let my steaming fingers cool off now before tomorrow lmao!!


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